Wednesday, July 12, 2017

"Momma"/"Auntie Nicole" (out of frustration and flippantness) thought that praying with Reilly and Camille didn't work this morning. Then God reminded her that praying with Reilly and Camille did work when she got the idea to get Reilly's harness and leash on her to keep her from running away while she put the muzzle on her—twice—and Reilly has the muzzle on for the second time as "Momma" types.

The first time that "Momma" had to put the muzzle on Reilly was when she had a myoclonic episode and thus spilled hot coffee on her jeans, the table, and the floor. The second time occurred just a few minutes ago when Reilly showed that she apparently didn't learn her lesson and caused "Momma" and myclonic episode (As "Momma" had to explain to Reilly, she jumped involuntarily because of Reilly's barking; and that jumping can cause her to spill hot coffee on herself—as it did this morning—or fall, drop something, and otherwise cause something dangerous to happen—and keep in mind that she has Cerebral Palsy.).

And (as of 8:48 AM EST) Reilly just got the muzzle off after having it on for only 16 minutes, and she would have gotten it off at 8:52 AM (Reilly can be stubborn and behave frustratingly!).

Monday, July 10, 2017

After "Momma" gets Reilly to come over by her and says something like, "Let's say our prayers", "Momma" (with Reilly praying however puppies can pray) begins with the "Our Father" prayer and prays the following prayer (although not by rote. PS Hopefully, this refutes "Auntie Michelle"'s allegation that "Momma" does not pray for her. Also, it might be interesting to share and guide others whom pray with their own pets):

"Lord, we pray for 'Mom-Mom', 'Auntie Michelle', and Cam—even when they're being pains in the butt!

"We pray for ourselves and each other, and we pray for others whom need prayers on their behalves—including those whom are praying with and for us.

"We also include Reilly's 'Daddy' in our prayers, regardless of who he is [though 'Momma' at least sometimes adds under her breath, "especially if he's [then his name, since only 'Momma' and Reilly, and maybe one other person, think that the person in question might be Reilly's 'Daddy' and 'Momma''s helpmate].

"Amen."

"Momma" and Reilly at least sometimes also try to pray the prayer if they forget to pray it at night, whether they pray it in the morning, before Reilly and Camille nap, etc.. They even pray it with Camille from time to time.

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Reilly considers "Mom-Mom" her best friend. Licking and nosing "Momma"'s hand about three to four times altogether when "Momma" asked if "Mom-Mom", "Momma", "Auntie Michelle", or "Camille" is her best friend, Reilly licked and nosed "Momma"'s hand when she asked her if "Mom-Mom" is her best friend.

Conversely and today, meanwhile, Camille answered firstly that "Auntie Nicole" is her best friend, then that "Mom-Mom" and "Auntie Nicole" are her best friends, and then that everyone in the house are her best friends.

Understandably be afraid of Reilly and to say "Night nights" to her....and have "Mimi" figure this out when "Auntie Nicole" alerts her to your looking at Reilly when you have turned away from the window and continued growling....you are wary of Reilly after that incident upstairs.

Sunday, July 2, 2017

150 years (and a day for those whom are in the MDT and more eastward timezones) is a long time, and (in the case of Canada, two to three days short of) only 91 years less than the United States has been around.

Saturday, July 1, 2017

Somebody decided that the staredown of the previous night wasn't enough. She had the idea to accompany the staredown with a highjink of refusing to move from "Mom-Mom"'s lap for Camille, and she decided to accompany that refusal of self removal with the refusal of allowing "Auntie Michelle" to move her. Apparently, attempting to obstruct the maintenance of Camille's grooming tolerance wasn't to be without attempting to bite "Auntie Michelle"!

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

When Reilly sat on "Auntie Michelle"'s lap, Camille was not amused. Thus began the staredown between the jealous-for-"Mimi" occupier of the chair near the windows and the occupier of Camille's "Mimi"'s lap. Meanwhile, "Momma"/"Auntie Nicole" saw the staredown twice with a break in the middle of the staredown; and this confirmed to "Momma"/"Auntie Nicole" that Reilly and Camille were not just looking at each other or sleepily looking off into space—besides, Reilly gave "I'm jealous; pay attention to only me" kisses to "Auntie Michelle" at one point!

Friday, June 23, 2017

When one has a puppy like Reilly or Camille, one has to be careful with chocolate—especially homemade chocolate. "Momma" cannot tell you how much worrying about how getting every chocolate fleck and even wiping off areas where there may have been no flecks was—her Bruxism is still flared up in part because of that!

When "Momma"/"Auntie Nicole" broke a glass by mistake, "Auntie Michelle"/"Mimi" didn't really sweep to help her get the glass pieces off of the floor (You try having Cerebral Palsy and being able to sweep with a standard broom and dustpan—good luck!). "Momma"/"Auntie Nicole" still could feel glass pieces when she ran her hand over the floor (and got a sand-grain-sized one to lacerate her hand a tiny bit, with the wound that looks like a dot or mole on her palm), can still hear some under her feet, and had to hide some behind a basket and cover areas where glass is and might be, so that Reilly and Camille couldn't get to it.

As "Momma" and others have said, life definitely changes when you have a puppy—and objects that you could pick up or otherwise clean up later suddenly become emergency causers if they're not picked up or otherwise as soon as possible, and more-dangerous objects such as missed broken-glass pieces become even more dangerous—not that mention that, for example, OCD/Anxiety-flareup triggers become even more triggering.

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Needlessly to say, "Momma" can't guarantee that she'll be a better "Momma" to Reilly—hence does she use the operative word "trying". Poor Reilly nonetheless remains begrudgingly patient with "Momma" as she feels that her life is like a ship without a rudder and without wind in its sails. Meanwhile, "Momma"—using the ship metaphor here—knows that a rudder and wind in its sails are meaningless without God, and that a co-captain would still help her and Reilly out immensely.

Sunday, June 18, 2017

For Reilly to see "Momma" go through heartbreak as she has no helpmate for herself and "Daddy" for Reilly has to be incredibly painful for her. Reilly has understandably given "Momma" looks of frustration, anger, etc. as "Momma" and Reilly have gone "night nights" later than "Momma" has promised as she stays up thinking about and getting frustrated in regards to getting no unequivocal answer as to what her possible helpmate and Reilly's possible "Daddy" wants.

How long's it going to take—until "Momma"'s in her 40s to 60s, or until Reilly is in her older years or even—God forbid—shortly before she would die (even if she does make it until "Momma"'s at least 60; and given that "Momma"'s only ~24.17 years and two days older than Reilly) in Gregorian terms)?

This heartbreak has been going on for quite a while and been part of exacerbating "Momma"'s Depression flareups, etc., and been affecting Reilly since "Momma"'s been affected.

Poor Reilly—poor Roosel!

PS Incidentally and on a cheerier note, "Momma" and the rest of Reilly's human family have a lot of other nicknames for Reilly besides "Roosel"—Reisy Rosalicita being one of them, for example.

Friday, June 16, 2017

By the way, getting Reilly to have "Momma" take her picture was hard enough—thus, only Reilly is in the card; and "Momma" spares everyone from being scared by the sight of her 😉. At least "Momma" wasn't bitten!

Thursday, June 15, 2017

Camille bit "Mom-Mom" during her grooming, and "Mom-Mom" had to withhold Camille's treat until Camille agreed to not bite and to cooperate in getting her bag legs brushed. "Turning on the pathetic" with a puppy-eyed face sans whimpering did not work, notwithstanding Cam's wordless attempt to break "Mom-Mom"'s resolve.

Reilly also bit "Mom-Mom", though that's she was getting her grooming treat and wanted to make sure that Camille couldn't get it before "Mom-Mom" tried to groom her again.

For the Flag Day card (besides, albe unintentionally on "Momma"'s part, to note the somber events of today), "Momma" has to delay the Flag Day to fix both herself up and Reilly up ("Der mensch trakht un Got lakht"—though "Momma" is sure that God wasn't laughing in this case.).

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Only As I Was Working On Another Book Did I Realize That...

I had inadvertently ended up naming Reilly for other matriarchs besides Rosalita "Rosa" McCoy Reilly and Alice Reilly Allen. Given that I'm Ashkenazi Jewish, meanwhile, that actually worked out on other levels as well: that is, naming Reilly after both a neighbor's belated senior puppy and my belated Reilly matriarchs became an observance of minhag Ashkenazi in regards to Ashkenazi matriarches as well the Reilly ones (and as I've said, Rosalita McCoy Reilly probably had a Anusi Sephardi father, anyway; so, minhag Ashkenazi usually doesn't apply to Sephardim unless they themselves are of Ashkenazi descent).

As I'm looking over the family tree to double check, I actually even see Ashkenazi matriarchs of Sephardi descent after whom I inadvertently named Reilly:

Rosalia Korschová Munková (one of whose granddaughters, by the way, would be Rosalie Trudnak Petak—Great-Grandma Czarnecki's favorite sister, as far as I can gather. From what I understand per one of her children, Great-Grandma was unfortunately a kokhlefel in making quite known what she thought about how they were handling Great-Grandaunt Rosalie's situation in her final days and after her death.)

Rosalia Czarnogurskÿová Krempaskÿová (and the sister for whom she was named. The original family name, by the way, was actually something like "Schwarzenberg" and later Slovakized or Magyarized to "Czarnogurskÿ" when her parents as Anusim left Kacwin for Veľká Franková. Also by the way, I assure you that our Krempaskÿs were Jewish and Anusim—you found no Marys, etc. for Jesus' mother among us. Besides, if you keep later naming patterns in mind, you can see having sons named "Mathias" and "Jacobus" after a daughter named "Maria" would certainly have raised questions, and Andreas Krempaskÿ had a son named "Jacobus" after he had my patriarch Mathias—unfortunately, it would've a little too Jewish for Slavic and Magyar tastes back then, especially as one can point to later naming patterns to see that "Mathias" and "Jacobus" had nothing to do with Matthew the apostle and James the brother of Jesus.)

I also see that I named her after other "Rosalias", Rosa, etc.—with Helena Rosalia Munková Reiff (one of Great-Grandma's aunts) and Rosa Loretta Reilly (a younger sister of Nana Allen) being among them.

Meanwhile, I now wonder (since humans can rub off onto to their pets) if Reilly didn't get traits such as her curiosity, chutzpah (including her bad kind of tenacity), sprightliness, and chesed from her "Great-Great-Grandma" Czarnecki (and as for the chesed, I saw that firsthand: I remember that, for example, she was one of the few family members—if not the only family member whom treated me and my father's cousin Jamie—whom also has Cerebral Palsy—any differently than she treated her other descendants).

As for Nanas Allen and Reilly, meanwhile, Reilly got some traits (such as chutzpah) from them, too. Nonetheless, now that I write all of this out, I think that Reilly got a significant amount of traits from Great-Grandma Czarnecki—and now I think of the irony that it brings: she was named for two of her "Momma"'s maternal matriarches and is more like the paternal matriarches for whom she was inadvertently named! ("Der mentsh trakht un Got lakht.")

Sunday, June 11, 2017

One time, "Momma" had been looking at pictures of a family member, and an infamous one at that. Still, "Momma" couldn't help but crack up when Reilly (at least as "Momma" saw after she'd just looked at the pictures) resembled the family member. To be fair, puppies do end up resembling their owners overtime, and the infamous family member bears (or, at least when he was younger, bore) resemblance to Reilly's "Pop-Pop" and "Great-Granddad" (and that's how "Momma", incidentally and as she's mentioned elsewhere, figured out that "Danilovich" was not just a patronymic in that relative's case).

In Reilly's case, then, whether resembling "Momma" physically's good is a subjective call. Meanwhile, here's at least some of how else Reilly resembles "Momma" (or at least "Momma" thinks, and barring factors such as "Momma"'s OCD/Anxiety):

She knows what she wants and why she wants it when she wants it.

She's loyal and jealous.

She's stubborn and Type A in many ways.

She can actually put up with quite a bit, although she's not always the most-patient type!

She's a foodie!

She has her breaking points and doesn't always react well when she reaches them!

She's empathetic (As for "Momma". she tries to be an empath!).

She can be defensive, whether rightly or wrongly!

However, she as an extrovert does balance out her introverted "Momma"; and she also balances out introverted Camille.

When Reilly barks to greet someone, she barks to greet someone—and she barks quite exuberantly (and only Camille might beat out Reilly in exuberance when "Mimi"/"Auntie Michelle" and "Mom-Mom" come home from work, and when Camille and Reilly see Shelby!). Even something as simple as a doorbell may be all that it takes for her to bark—for example, Reilly even barked when "Auntie Michelle" rang the doorbell accidentally on Friday as she headed out the door for work—Reilly uses that doorbell as a cue to be ready to say "Hi" to someone, even when the someone is "Auntie Michelle" ringing the doorbell accidentally.

Reilly also barks generally without caring about who's at the door—even a pizza-delivery person can get Reilly to bark, stick her nose through the hallway gate, and wag her tail. She also does her begging motion if she particularly wants to see the person whom's at the door, and she definitely has no problem blocking Camille from any attention and/or jumping exuberantly on someone to say "Hi", give kisses, beg for scritches, etc.. She even has her special barks—e.g., ones that mean "Hi, [given special person]! Where were you?", "Hi, Mom-Mom! I want to walk now that you're home!", and "I want to talk [or play, etc.]."—and she's even taken to certain strangers to her and acquaintances of hers moreso than other strangers and acquaintance.